


No Strings Attached

by karrenia_rune



Category: Dragonlance - Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman
Genre: Magic, kender puppets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-25
Updated: 2011-04-25
Packaged: 2017-10-18 16:02:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/190618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/karrenia_rune/pseuds/karrenia_rune
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What it says on the tin, a character study of Tasslehoff Burrfoot; and with kender puppets.</p>
            </blockquote>





	No Strings Attached

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kisahawklin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kisahawklin/gifts).



No Strings Attached

Fandom: Dragonlance series (book)  
Written for: kisahawklin in the New Year Resolutions 2009 Challenge  
by karrenia_rune

 

Disclaimer: Dragonlance and the characters of Tasslehoff Burrfoot are the original creations of Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, TSR etc. They are not mine. Written for Kisahawklin's request in the Yuletide 2009 New Year Resolutions Challenge.

It truly was amazing what one could accomplish for several yards of muslin, needles, thread and a handful of pins and needles. The bright colors of the patterns obviously sewn into the skirts and over tunics with both the hand of art and love had won him over.

Without further thought, Tasslehoff Burrfoot immediately made the decision to have one of the delightful marionettes for his very own. If it ever fully registered on his consciousness perhaps he might have been concerned with the considered opinion of the other races to often liken the attention span of the kender with those of magpies or raccoons or other such things attracted by bright and shiny objects. But Tas, as his friends called him, never was much bothered by such opinions.

The vendor of the dolls had bent his ear over the intricate means by which the Kender puppeteers operated their creations. At least, realizing that the last light of the waning day was nearly at a sliver in the darkening sky, Tas quickly thanked the shopkeeper and turned to head back to his room at the inn.

He had managed to acquire a even half dozen: one red-headed, three brunettes, and one with golden tresses and eyes as blue as the paint on the plates that had been used to decorate the otherwise quite plain and uninteresting walls of the room.

Tas sat them up on his mattress and tried to think through the various by which the vendor had explained in how to move the wooden cross pieces attached to their backs.

The problem was he could only summon up every one word in five and which simply would not do at all. Tas lay back on the floor using his cloak as a cushion for his head and thought that maybe he would save them for later or perhaps as a presents; it would be unfortunate if they were to be simply locked up in a chest somewhere and forgotten.

It was then that the one of the brunettes winked at him. Tas might have missed it completely, or passed it off as merely a trick of the light or his own over-active imagination, but the doll winked at him once more.

And even more than that it sat up on the mattress and began to braid its long coils of brown hair into a tight bun and pile it atop its head. "Magic!" gasped Tas in delight wondering even as he did so if the vendor had known more than he was letting on, or like Tas perhaps never knew what he had himself perhaps purchased second-hand.

As Tas continued to watch the marrionette fix its hair and then twirl in a delicate pirouette he did have to wonder if it was the doll that contained the magic or perhaps there was another as yet unraveled and invisible presence at work here. In either case, if that was so, the other dolls still sat quite motionless in their previous positions were he had placed them; quite unmoved and unimpressed by the antics of their companion.

The doll, or Mina,' as he come to think of it. Any marionette, no matter if it were made of wood or linen or whatever, capable of displaying this kind of ability deserved to have a name,' thought Tas and continued to watch as Mina spun herself off of the bed an onto the floor. She stopped briefly and stole a coy glance back at her still silent and quite motionless friends and continued to dance.

In a breathless whisper half-afraid and half-conspiratorial, as if to speak aloud might run the risk breaking the magical force that held "Mina" spellbound. "Can you speak? Can you tell me how it's possible for you to move as you do?"

If pressed Tasslehoff Burrfoot could have sworn quite without running the risk of stretching the truth that he had not spoken above a whisper; that was when the doll stopped in mid spin and raised her head until she looked right at him and even in the midst of his own preoccupation; through him.

In a whisper as hushed as his own had been only moments before the doll he had named Mina replied. "I got no strings to tie me up, or tie me down. I got no strings as you can see. There are no strings on me."'

"I see, So, I see!" whispered Tas excitedly. "I do have to ask if the others can do the same."

"No, the magic only works the one time and only when it comes unlooked for and unforced," replied the Mina doll.

"You were made by Kender puppeteers," nodded Tas in encouragement. This was quite fascinating for his entire life and even through the experiences and the stories had been taught of his famous Uncle Trapspringer he had never heard one that told of Kender possessing any sort of magic, `real' Magic, at any rate. Sleight of hand, lock picking, things of that sort, that was innate to every Kender and could only be improved upon with age and experience.

"No, I am not a doll. I realize that to your eyes I am a doll."

"Then what are you?" asked Tas eager to hear the remainder of the story.

"I am the soul of a girl trapped by a wizard in body of a marionette," replied Mina.

"Oh! Oh! I'm so sorry," gasped Tas some of his earlier wonder fading at the thought of be trapped. "Can I help. Help in some way?" he asked tremmously.

Mina sighed. "You already have. By allowing me to be free of the invisible strings I can pass on."

"I shall be sorry to see you go," Tas replied, "but I am to glad to have helped set you free in even a small way. By the way, my name is Tasslehoff Burrfoot."

Mina allowed herself a small smile, the barest thinning of her painted lips. "You keep calling me Mina. My name is actually Maude, but Mina is so much prettier. Thank you, Tasslehoff Burrfoot; for everything."

Tas sat up on the floor and nodded. "You are welcome."

**Author's Note:**

> also previously written and posted for kisahawklin's request from the Yuletide NYR 2009 Challenge


End file.
